The Oregon Health Authority lifted a public health advisory on September 4 for contact with ocean water at Mill Beach in Curry County, one day after issuing the warning.
The health authority issued the advisory on September 3 after water samples showed higher-than-normal levels of fecal bacteria in the ocean. Testing by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality found that bacteria levels had returned to normal, the agency said.
Officials still recommend that visitors avoid large pools of water on the beach frequented by birds and runoff from those pools, which may contain elevated bacteria from fecal matter.
The Oregon Health Authority, Department of Environmental Quality, and Parks and Recreation Department have monitored popular Oregon beaches for elevated fecal bacteria since 2003 using funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.